In the great race toward sire success, the first thing that a freshman sire needs is to get a stakes winner on the board, and the only thing better is getting the winner of a graded stakes. That's exactly what has happened for Darby Dan stallion Flameaway (by Scat Daddy), whose his first-crop daughter Dreamfyre won the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar.
Now unbeaten in two starts, Dreamfyre was already a stakes winner, having won the Everett Nevin Stakes at Pleasanton on debut July 9. In that race, Dreamfyre started well and led the others on a merry chase, winning by 3 ½ lengths as the second-longest shot on the board at nearly 12-1.
In the Sorrento, Dreamfyre appeared to be facing a much stouter task, but once again she led at every call and won by 3 ½ lengths, this time as the 3.60-1 third choice.
The dark bay filly is the first stakes winner so far for Flameaway, but she is one of nine winners from 29 starters by the sire. These early-season exploits have pushed Flameaway into second place on the freshmen sires list, and the son of Scat Daddy is the only stallion in the top five with fewer than 100 named foals from his first crop, although he only just missed the cut with 98.
The leading freshman sire at this point is Maximus Mischief (Into Mischief), followed by Flameaway, Mitole (Eskendereya), Omaha Beach (War Front), Vino Rosso (Curlin), and Coal Front (Stay Thirsty) as the leading half-dozen. Of the top six, five stand at Spendthrift Farm, excepting only Flameaway, and four of the top five have gotten their first stakes winner.
In noting the success of Flameaway, Darby Dan's stallion director Stuart Fitzgibbon said, “Although Flameaway was a very good racehorse, the 'Scat Daddy factor' is important here, with his sons making an impression worldwide. Although these are very early days, this young horse has been very well-supported by breeding-right holders, and Darby Dan is very well pleased with the continuing support from those breeders in the stallion's second, third, and fourth crops.
“In each of those seasons, Flameaway has covered sizable books and, in 2023, had a book of 111 mares. With that solid representation and the results we're seeing at the racetrack, trainers and buyers are not going to miss them at the upcoming sales.”
An announcement of Flameaway's 2024 stud fee will be made later in the year.
The second half-dozen among the leading 12 freshmen at this point come from a wider variety of stallion operations. In ranking order, World of Trouble (Kantharos) stands at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa; Enticed (Medaglia d'Oro) at Darley / Jonabell; Copper Bullet (More Than Ready) at Darby Dan like Flameaway; Catholic Boy (More Than Ready) at Claiborne; Catalina Cruiser (Union Rags) at Lane's End; and Audible (Into Mischief) at WinStar.
The dozen leaders feature two sons of multiple leading national sire Into Mischief bookending the group, as well as a pair of sons by More Than Ready, the only son of the Halo stallion Southern Halo to succeed in North America. Southern Halo was a landmark sire in Argentina, leading their rankings of sires and broodmare sires repeatedly, and his sons there have made a significant impression also.
Aside from Blame (Hail to Reason / Roberto / Kris S. / Arch) this is the only line of Turn-to / Hail to Reason among the leading sires in America, although the Halo branch through Sunday Silence rules in Japan and has several elite representatives in Europe.
In contrast, Northern Dancer has a strong and varied relation to the leading freshmen sires, with the Into Mischief sons coming through Storm Bird / Storm Cat / Harlan / Harlan's Holiday and World of Trouble coming through Storm Cat's son Tale of the Cat / Lion Heart; Catalina Cruiser comes through Dixieland Band / Dixie Union, with Mitole through Storm Cat / Giant's Causeway; Enticed through Sadler's Wells / El Prado; Omaha Beach through Danzig. Only Vino Rosso comes from Mr. Prospector through Smart Strike, and Coal Front comes from A.P. Indy through Bernardini.
Flameaway represents the “other” branch of Storm Cat through Hennessy and his international champion juvenile son Johannesburg. Scat Daddy, had he lived longer, would surely have made this as widely represented a group as any other, but his line is now principally in Europe through No Nay Never, in South America through Il Campione, and in the States through Justify, Flameaway, and Mendelssohn.
Justify shuttles to Australia; Flameaway and Mendelssohn likewise shuttle, but to Chile.
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If you appreciate our work, you can support us by subscribing to our Patreon stream. Learn more.Among the stallion stats available at this early stage, five of Flameaway's winners are out of mares from the A.P. Indy line, and Fitzgibbon said that “Mr. Oxley is responsible for that. He is a large shareholder and supporter of the horse, but over time, I'm sure we'll find that Flameaway should match with a wide variety of mares and lines.”
Not coincidentally, however, Dreamfyre was bred in Kentucky by John Oxley, who also bred and raced her dam, Appreciating (Sky Mesa), a two-time winner who also ran third in the G2 Natalma Stakes at two. Dreamfyre is the fifth winner out of Appreciating, who is also the dam of Nasreddine (Nyquist), who ran third in the G1 Starlet. The Sorrento winner was sold for $130,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September sale, ranking her second in price among yearling fillies by her sire and sixth overall for Flameaway's 2022 yearling prices. Dreamfyre resold at the OBS April sale for $140,000 to owner Danny Eplin from the consignment of SGV Thoroughbreds. The filly had worked a furlong in :9 4/5, showing a stride length of 24.1 feet and earning a BreezeFig of 72.
Oxley had purchased the second dam, Hello Barbara Sue (Dehere), for $440,000 at the 1998 Keeneland September sale. At stud, she produced the G3 winner Buddy's Humor (Distorted Humor), as well as the winner Mona Mia (Monarchos), who has produced a trio of stakes winners, including G1 winner Celestine (Scat Daddy).
Third dam Barbara Sue (Big Spruce) sold at the 1985 Keeneland September sale for $80,000 to B. Wayne Hughes. In a long career, the mare changed hands several times, won a dozen of her 73 races, including multiple stakes, and earned $257,721. At stud, Barbara Sue produced three stakes winners, including G2 winner Diamond on the Run (Kris S.), who also finished second in the G1 Frizette and Matron. Barbara Sue was bred by Elmendorf Farm and was sold as part of their yearling dispersal, and this is one of the grand Elmendorf families through her dam Maytide.
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